<p>Oh, you could also apply to some test-optional schools if you have a good GPA and strong extra curriculars. Bowdoin and Mount Holyoke are a couple of examples, but I know there are a lot more.</p>
<p>It just seems to me that if you don’t know enough about the admissions process to have tested early to allow for a retake, your odds of getting into a top school are really, really small. You haven’t said what the rest of your stats are, and whether you need financial aid. But it might be time for a dose of reality… and if that is the case, then no gap year is going to get you closer to a top school admission.</p>